Section 2

Outcomes and Principles

Outcomes

Legally, everyone must comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. However, the incentives for striving for high health and safety standards go beyond the legal obligations – morally and economically poor health and safety can have serious ramifications in the screen sector.

The screen sector is unique in that all of us bring our own experience and skills to a workplace (a company structure) that may only exist for a short period of time. This is quite different to companies that are formed with the intention to exist for many years. Under the new Act, this has implications that are discussed further in Section 4.

Furthermore, we are passionate individuals with a strong work ethic and desire to create great productions. We also want to come home safe each day (or night) after work and need to take health and safety seriously.

Obstacles can stand in the way of good health and safety, from the pressure of production or deadlines, to financial constraints and the complexity of the screen sector and production process. A safe environment and positive safety culture is both beneficial for the health and safety of each of us and also makes for a better production.

Under the Act, everyone on a screen set is at least a ‘worker’ and has a responsibility to ensure the safety of themselves and those around them.

Leadership and safety culture

A good safety culture comes from shared values, attitudes and ways of behaving that support the prevention of harm. It focuses on identifying risks and stopping people from getting hurt. It relies on each of us taking a role in implementing this culture.

Our objectives are to:

Raise awareness and understanding of health and safety;

Help everyone in the screen sector to be committed to a strong safety culture;

Encourage health and safety values that people follow because they want to;

Increase recognition that good health and safety management benefits everyone; and

Encourage persons conducting a business or undertaking and workers to collaborate and actively participate in health and safety improvement.

Guiding health and safety principles

Within the screen sector we should consider the following principles as the foundation for all workplaces. We are all responsible for: